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Turkmenistan is a mysterious country and closed from prying eyes. Truly an oriental beauty, the country is reluctant to show its face, and even in inner world there is no way for everyone.
The government of Turkmenistan does not strive to show everyone around life in the state; it is stingy in the development of foreign policy relations, but tourism here is beginning to develop at an accelerated pace.
Turkmenistan is famous not only for its natural, eye-catching formations from the sands of the famous Karakum Desert, but also for its history and traditions. Research by scientists has proven that life began on the territory of the country 3 million years ago. Currently, the country's population is 5.2 million people.
Sights of Turkmenistan
These include mainly the remains of ancient settlements and forts, medieval mosques, and palaces of rulers. But modern buildings, especially in the capital - Ashgabat - are of historical value and have the grandeur and beauty of decoration in the traditions of the East.
Wonders of the world: “the gates of hell”, Turkmenistan. Description
350 km from Ashgabat, in the town of Darvaza, there is one of the wonders of the world - a fiery crater, called the “gates of hell”. Turkmenistan is the owner of this mystical phenomenon. Why mystical?
Yes, because every tourist who has visited the Karakum, where the “gates of hell” are located, will remember Turkmenistan for a long time and will no longer be able to doubt the existence of hell and heaven.
Imagine that in the middle of the sand kingdom lies a crater with flames escaping from the neck! Sometimes they rise to a height of 10-15 meters. This whole ominous picture is filled with the sounds of gas escaping from the ground - what is not the door to hell? This is unforgettable!
“The Gates of Hell” Turkmenistan and its government tried to cover it with earth and make the developments operational. But so far no success.
How was the “gate to hell” formed? Turkmenistan makes no secret of this. You can learn about this from many sources. It turns out that the mysterious place Darvaza, or “the gates of hell,” was opened by Turkmenistan in 1971. Drilling work was underway here at a new field. natural gas. The workers stumbled upon a vast underground cavity that went several meters deep, which resulted in the destruction of the drilling rig and all equipment. All this simply fell into the ground. It was a miracle that the workers were not injured. And gas came out of the hole in the earth, which posed a danger to workers, local population, livestock and other fauna.
Then the decision arose to ignite the gas until it was completely burned. But the fiery crater still exists; gas reserves are so large that no one knows when they will run out. This story has already become a legend, and hundreds of tourists come to the place to see for themselves the existence of a door to the underworld.
Darvaza looks amazing, especially in the dark. Hundreds of flaming flames are visible from afar, and against the backdrop of black sand they represent continuously burning torches different sizes. You might think that you are in a world after the end of the world.
It is unsafe to be near the crater: elevated temperature, vapors of burning gas, difficulty breathing - that’s what it carries within itself.
Not far from Darvaza there are two more craters of a similar origin, but there is no fire in them. The bottom of one of them is covered with mud, bubbling endlessly under the influence of escaping gas, and the other has a bottom covered with liquid turquoise color.
Recently, the village of Darvaza was resettled, but local residents gather every year on the site of the former village, light fires, cook pilaf and remember their life in this place.
Do you want to see with your own eyes what something like Hell looks like? Then you are on your way to the town of Darvaza in Turkmenistan. Looking at a local landmark, you will feel a little uneasy... As if you were at the entrance to the lair of a fire-breathing dragon or the Serpent Gorynych (as you wish)! And just imagine: life is also boiling at the bottom of the crater...
"Turkmenistan Darvaza crater volcano" by Roderick Eime is licensed under CC BY 2.0Darvaza crater in Turkmenistan
Darvaza (Gateway to Hell)- a natural gas field near the village of the same name in Turkmenistan. The diameter of the crater is 69 meters. The depth of the hellish pit is 30 meters! Imagine: a house of 8-10 floors can easily fit vertically into a crater. The “cauldron” has an area of 5,320 square kilometers, which is slightly smaller than the size of a regular football field (7,140 m2).
Darvaza is a popular tourist attraction with approximately 50,000 tourists visiting over the past five years. The area surrounding the crater is also popular for camping (outdoor recreation).
The Gate to Hell is located in the heart of the Karakum desert, 260 kilometers north of Ashgabat. The Darvaza crater especially resembles the underworld in summer. After all, the air temperature in the Karakum desert in the midday heat often rises to 50 degrees Celsius! The soil temperature is heating up to unprecedented heights - up to +80 degrees Celsius! Try walking barefoot! Karakum is one of the hottest deserts in the world! For a full-fledged hell, unless there are not enough devils...
The gas deposits found here are among the largest in the world! The name Gate to Hell (literally "Door to Hell" Door to Hell) was given to the crater thanks to the fire, boiling mud and orange flames that seem to want to burst out... Individual jets of fire shoot up to a height of 15 meters!
Despite scanty rainfall and unbearable heat in summer, animal world is present here too. Corsacs (a type of chanterelle), wolves, gazelles and many other animals have adapted quite well to the harsh climatic conditions. Distant relatives of our purrs also inhabited this area: steppe and sand cats.
But the “hot pot”, the living creatures, will probably bypass it. And he does the right thing!
Be careful when visiting such places!
Fatal mistake
Darvaza was discovered by Soviet geologists in 1971 during exploration operations to discover gas deposits. Workers installed a drilling rig and began working on areas where natural gas deposits could presumably be located. During the work, the drilling rig fell into the resulting huge well. Natural gas was leaking out. Something had to be done to stop its spread. In making their decision, geologists allowed serious mistake: They set fire to a natural gas well, expecting the fire to die down in the coming days. But it was not there! The fire continues to burn to this day! But it was decided to demolish the nearby village back in 2004.
In April 2010, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov did not deprive the local landmark of his attention. He insisted that the well's problems be resolved as soon as possible. The President said measures must be taken to limit the impact of the "inferno" on other natural gas developments in the area. Moreover, you need to adhere to the environmental component.
After all, Darvaza causes significant harm to the local ecosystem that has developed over centuries. And destruction biological system, as usual, leads to sad consequences. After all, the environment, animals, vegetation and microorganisms are tightly “connected” with each other. And if a few connections are cut, the entire ecosystem can collapse. One can only guess what this will lead to!
Turkmenistan plans to increase natural gas production for export to various countries of the world such as Pakistan, India, Iran, etc.
Who lives at the bottom of Darvaza?
It is interesting that during the study of a burning well, famous traveler George Koronis (Canada) discovered bacteria at its bottom. Moreover, they turned out to be quite viable! It turned out that such bacteria had never been found anywhere in the world. They belong to extremophiles, that is, creatures living in extreme conditions. An amazing phenomenon! Unique creatures were able to survive even under such hellish conditions as in the Darvaza crater! How many more surprises will our planet present?
The vast majority of extremophiles are microorganisms. From time to time, researchers discover colonies of microbes where our brain tells us there can be nothing! For example, not long ago a colony of bacteria was found in a subglacial lake in Antarctica. Darkness, cold and dampness are not conditions that can prevent super-resistant microscopic creatures from living.
According to preliminary data from scientists, a colony of extremophiles may also live in the Mariinsky Trench - the deepest place on Earth! Well, tell me, what did they forget there?
People sometimes also have to withstand extreme conditions by “our” standards. Just look at such a phenomenon as the Novorossiysk bora (click for the link to read).
Hotel with "stuffing" of Darvaza
Despite the recent discovery of the famous crater, its popularity is rapidly growing. In 2015, Danish architects presented a project for a unique hotel on the shores of the Caspian Sea in Turkmenistan. Avaza Aqua Park will be a multifunctional complex that includes a water park, a yacht club, shopping centers and swimming pools. The external appearance of the unique structure united the main attractions of the country in the field of tourism: the hot Karakum desert, the Darvaza crater and the underground lake Kovata.
In 1971, during drilling operations near the Turkmen village of Darvaza, Soviet geologists discovered a large accumulation of underground gas. This is how a unique local attraction appeared, which received the mystical name “Gates of Hell” or “Door to the Underworld.”
Turkmenistan ranks fourth in the world in terms of natural gas reserves. The second largest gas field in the world is also located here. The Darvaza gas crater is located in the center of the Turkmen Karakum desert. It got its name from the nearby village of Darvaza, which was demolished in 2004.
The history of the appearance of the Turkmen Gate of Hell is somewhat tragic. In 1971, geologists carried out exploration work in the area of the village of Darvaza. They set up a drilling rig and began excavation. As a result of searching for gas deposits, a gas-filled cavern (void) was unexpectedly found, into which all the machinery and equipment fell. By luck, none of the expedition members were injured in the incident.
To avoid poisoning from the gas in the cavern, it was decided to set fire to the resulting crater. It was assumed that in a few days the gas reserves would dry up and the fire would subside on its own. However, geologists were mistaken - the gas field turned out to be so large that it still continues to burn.
The Darvaza gas crater is 20 meters deep and 60 meters in diameter. The gas emanating from underground is divided into hundreds of torches that cover the entire surface of the crater. The largest fire torches can reach a height of 10-15 meters. The crater looks especially impressive at night. Due to its terrifying appearance, the gap blazing with a bright flame was called the Gates of Hell.
Near the burning crater there are two more failures of the same origin. At the bottom of one is bubbling light gray mud, at the bottom of the other is a turquoise liquid. According to experts, there are extensive gas deposits in the area industrial scale, which may well still be subject to development.
An amazing excursion is offered in Iceland - here tourists can dive into and walk along its bottom.
It's no secret that people since ancient times endowed with some supernatural or healing properties not only objects, but also entire places that were called holy or sacred. Miracles of healing took place there, people had visions and hallucinations. Pilgrims have come to such places since ancient times.
However, on our ball there are places and with negative energy, which have gained a bad reputation. Basically, these were ravines, lowlands, caves, etc. Over time, other objects were added to them, which, due to their characteristics, at a subconscious level evoke a feeling of danger and associations with the other world.
Some places people even considered the entrance to the other world or the dark realms oh, but they still attracted crowds of curious people. Our selection today is about such places.
St. Patrick's Purgatory, Ireland. This is the name of a cave on a small island in the middle of Lough Derg in County Donegal.
Traditions said that Christ himself showed St. Patrick the location of the gates of purgatory. The cave was considered sacred and promised atonement for sins for being in torment, but only a true believer could pass through it to the afterlife.
A medieval legend tells of the knight Owen, who dared to enter the cave in 1153 to relieve a heavy burden from his soul. He was met by fifteen monks in white robes and warned of the dangers that the dungeon concealed.
When the knight confidently stepped forward, the ground opened up under his feet and he fell into the burning inferno. Clawed demons dragged him among black clouds of smoke and heat, past sinners undergoing terrible torture. Owen realized that he was seeing hell and turned his prayers to the Lord...
The flames immediately threw him onto a narrow bridge stretching over the burning abyss. The knight followed it and ended up in a flowering meadow, where he met several priests.
They took him along broken paths to a mountain, from where he could see the heavenly paradise, shining like gold. The rays emanating from it touched Owen, and, enveloped in divine light, he experienced inexpressible bliss. And as soon as he thought about this feeling lasting forever, he found himself at the exit of the cave. Owen realized that he had been in another world without leaving his bodily shell.
According to the chronicles, the visions sent by the cave have always been associated with religious themes, so any vapors that cause hallucinations are excluded as such: what kind of vapors could they be - with a narrowly focused theme?
Archaeologists and scientists are very interested in exploring one of the supposed entrances to purgatory, but the exact coordinates of the place are lost, and the island has long been built up. Perhaps the cave is located under the foundation of one of the buildings or was destroyed by time. However, every year on the island you can meet pilgrims who come here to pray in the local church, which is believed to be built at the entrance to the cave.
Darvaza, Turkmenistan. This crater-type place is also called the “Gate of Hell” (“darvaza” means “gate” in Turkmen). But this is not the name of the crater itself, but of the village closest to it.
And when she received it, there were no “Gates of Hell” nearby. They appeared, like all the most terrible and beautiful things in the world - thanks to human intervention. In the early 70s. XX century geologists discovered a promising gas deposit (in Turkmenistan they are actually not uncommon).
Drilling and production began, but during the work, geologists stumbled upon a “surprise”: an underground cave. A drilling rig, equipment and vehicles fell into it, but, fortunately, there were no casualties. Sure enough, natural gas began flowing from the hole in the ground. To prevent local residents from being poisoned by harmful compounds, it was decided to set this gas on fire in the hope that it would soon burn out and go out.
However, the crater has not gone out yet, and is not even gathering. The width of the crater is 60 m, the depth is 20 m. An ominous bright flame sticks out its “fingers” from it day and night - but if during the day it somehow does not touch, then in the dark the “gates of hell” manifest themselves in all their glory: the cavern looks as if it had stepped out in flesh and color from a medieval engraving.
Thousands of tourists come to see the entrance to the underworld: their interest is fueled by the as yet unfulfilled decree of the new president of Turkmenistan on the need to fill up the fiery pit.
Even earlier, in 2004, the village of Darvaza was demolished by order of Turkmenbashi. Maybe this is some kind of evil fate? One way or another, the “Gates of Hell” in Darvaza are deeply symbolic.
The most interesting thing is that, according to local residents, strange and mysterious things began to happen near the “gate”... Perhaps a person, through his intervention, brought to life dormant evil forces?
Another gate is the “Pluto Gate” in Turkey. In 2013, archaeologists discovered on the territory of the ancient city of Hierapolis, near modern Pamukkale, the ruins of a place called “Pluto’s Gate” or “Gate to the Underworld.”
Geographer Strabo, who lived in the 1st century. BC, wrote about them that “this place is filled with vapors, so dense and saturated that it is difficult to see the ground; any bird that flies there dies instantly.” Researchers suggest that the “portal to hell” was used for sacrifices.
Even in ancient times, pilgrimages were made to it. Pilgrims settled in an ancient temple, where they awaited visions and prophecies. There they were protected by toxic fumes that would kill any non-saint who tried to enter them.
The inscription at the entrance to the cave refers to this legend. The deadly fumes are still there, the carbon dioxide gases that can kill any living thing.
Nicaragua also has its own “Gates of Hell” - "Mouth of Hell": Masaya Volcano. It is located 20 km southeast of the city of Managua and originated more than two and a half thousand years ago.
Although outwardly it is not particularly different from other volcanoes, the Spanish conquistadors considered the volcano a place of evil and called it the “Mouth of Hell” or “Hell’s Throat.” Moreover, local residents believed that an evil god lived in the crater, and in order to appease him, they periodically threw young girls to the bottom of the volcano.
They believed that such sacrifices would calm the volcano and it would no longer erupt. (The most interesting thing is that this helped: the volcano was silent for hundreds of years; it erupted only in 2008)
The conquistadors, who believed in evil spirits and hell, called a priest, and with his blessing, they installed a cross on one of the slopes, to which they paved a road. They believed that now there was no devilry will not come out of the crater of a volcano.
Today the Masaya Volcano is one of the tourist attractions of Nicaragua. This is almost the only volcano in the world, and also an active one, the crater of which can be driven by car. The bottom of the crater is always filled with caustic gases that make your throat tingle and make you want to cough. Those who are lucky will be able to see a fiery hole at the bottom, which is framed by multi-colored soil. But the volcano does not open often.
In 2012, seismologists noticed some new activity of the volcano and therefore closed the observation deck near the cross, which was perfectly preserved. Now you can't go up there. The recommended duration of stay near the crater is five minutes.
The huge size of the crater gives you goosebumps and makes you think about the power of nature. Moreover, scientists quite officially call the Masaya volcano the center of paranormal phenomena. Phenomena of luminous objects are common here, electronics fail, and many begin to hallucinate.
Interestingly, the volcano and the beliefs surrounding it gave rise to a discourse by Friar Juan de Torquemada in which he cited the material existence of volcanoes as the reason why they could not be Hell or the entrance to it.
Cave of the Sibyl. This is one of the most famous and most mysterious places in Italy. Located in the famous acropolis of Juma, the cave is a gallery of impressive dimensions: 131 m long and 5 m high.
In this place, according to ancient legend, lived the Cumaean Sibyl, known as the majestic and terrible priestess of Apollo. According to legend, the girl asked God for as many years of life as there were grains of sand in her hand, but over time she became a victim of her longevity: the fortuneteller asked to forget about eternal youth, so she gradually dried up and became decrepit
The Sibyl's Cave has the appearance of a trapezoidal tunnel with six branches on the right side, it was often filled with volcanic gases, which could explain the various visions of its visitors and ancient legends.
Some scientists believe that the cave of the Kuma Sibyl in ancient times was a military facility, and not a refuge and the location of the priestess. By the way, not far from it is Lake Avernus, which the Romans and Greeks also considered the entrance to hell.
Acheron River, Greece. According to ancient Greek mythology, Acheron is the river through which the carrier Charon carries souls from this world to the kingdom of Hades. That's what the ancient Greek myths say. And in " Divine Comedy"Dante's river Acheron encircles the first circle of Hell.
But this river exists not only in myths and other literary works, but also in real world. The river flows in the Epirus region of Thesprotia, passing through the harsh, wild, rocky upland of Kakozuli, the grip of a dark and narrow gorge 5 km long, the plain of Epirus (or Kihira).
After it, the Acheron flows across the plain until it reaches the Ionian Sea. Perhaps it was the appearance of the river, deep, capricious, chained in inaccessible gloomy gorges, that gave rise to legends that this is where the entrance to the underworld is located.
However, as everyone has long known, not a single myth arose out of nowhere. Greek and Roman mythology - what a strange combination of material and intangible that makes you take yourself seriously.
Mount Olympus, the home of the gods, is a real place, so why couldn't the gates to hell be real?
Needless to say, tourists try not to swim here from one shore to the other. Moreover, this mysterious place is still shrouded in modern legends. They say, for example, that many curious people never returned from their trip to Acheron.
Houska Castle, Czech Republic. This is a 13th century castle. While most building projects have a logical explanation for their location, Houska Castle is in a location that gives it no strategic value, no access to goods or resources, and not even a water source nearby.
The structure is strangely designed with little external defense and many features that seem to be built to store something inside. Legend says that the castle was built over the entrance to Hell.
Local residents have witnessed strange flying creatures and long lines of tortured souls chained together and begging for mercy. Once the criminals were offered forgiveness in exchange for lowering them into a hole and finding out where it led, but this project was never realized.
Once the castle was built, stories of strange noises, screams, and the appearance of otherworldly monks continued. Houska was occupied by the Nazis during World War II, who also noted strange phenomena occurring in the castle in their memoirs.
History of the Darvaza gas crater
The word Darwaza translated from Persian means “gate”. Near the settlement of Darvaza in 1971, researchers discovered an underground gas accumulation. Geologists decided to equip a well to obtain more accurate data. Almost immediately after going deep into the ground, the drill came across a large underground cavity, into which the entire working site, including transport, equipment and the tower itself, fell through.
There were no casualties during the incident, but casualties could soon appear, since gas was coming out of the resulting hole in a powerful stream. To prevent a full-scale environmental disaster due to the poisoning of people, flora and fauna, the pit was set on fire. According to geologists' calculations, the discovered methane reserves were expected to dry up in just a few days. As a result, the fire dragged on for many years.
Some Turkmen scientists are confident that the Darvaza gas crater was formed back in the 1960s, but this version is not official. In 2004, the nearby village was demolished and its residents were relocated closer to the railway station of the same name. In 2010, the president of the country personally visited this unusual attraction, ordering to fill up the hole or take any other measures to limit the leakage of valuable natural resource. Despite this, an action plan was never developed.
Started in 2013 Scientific research Darvaza. Experts stated that modern technologies and directional drilling from more stable soil areas may allow exploitation of this deposit. Additionally, there were closed wells, reinforced with reinforcement. In the future, they may be opened to continue production.
Tourists at the craterOther craters
The Fire Pit is not the only gas crater in Darvaza. Not far from the famous failure there are several of its less popular “brothers”. They are also hot spots for natural gas, but the methane pressure is much lower here, so the craters don't burn. The bottom of one sinkhole is covered with bubbling gray mud, the other with turquoise mud.
When coming to these places, it’s also worth taking a look at such unusual natural attractions. These craters are less impressive and should be explored during daylight hours. The best option– arrive a couple of hours before sunset and first go to the colored gaps, and closer to dusk admire the “fiery gates”.
Exploring the “Fire Gates”
Canadian explorer George Koronis became the only person who visited the bottom of the fiery hole in the Darvaza gas crater and successfully got out of there. In 2013, National Geographic funded an adventurer's journey to obtain soil samples from a hot crater. The most exciting question was whether microorganisms are capable of existing in such harsh conditions.
The traveler said that he had been preparing for the descent into the depths of Darvaza for 1.5 years. During this time, he received permits, assembled a team of like-minded people and trained with climbing equipment. Koronis even hired a pyrotechnic stuntman who set fire to the researcher's special suit for training purposes. This helped to get used to being surrounded by fire and not to panic at the decisive moment.
In addition to the fire-resistant suit, the researcher used custom-made Kevlar equipment. Only products made of this metal were able to withstand the heat of the crater. In the samples obtained by Coronis, scientists discovered a special type of bacteria that can successfully survive at high temperatures and in minimal quantities. nutrients. These microorganisms are found nowhere else on Earth.
The results are important not only for understanding our planet, but also for the development of astrobiology. On many planets, especially outside solar system, the conditions for the emergence of life differ little from the bottom of the fire pit in Turkmenistan. The data obtained look encouraging: harsh conditions are not an obstacle to the development of organisms.
It is important to know
The gas crater of Darvaza has a special atmosphere - there are no people for many kilometers around, there are no souvenir shops or parking lots, only hot sand and a hot hole in the desert. There are also no fences, gas stations or other infrastructure.
All of the mentioned craters have loose edges and steep loose slopes, so tourists need to be extremely careful when visiting Darvaz. You should not come close to the cliff, since it is almost impossible to get out of such a trap. In the main crater, this is also facilitated by the extremely high temperature.
To look at the “gates of hell” in all their glory, it is advisable to come here in the early evening hours. The fiery tongues of the pit look especially impressive in the soft twilight and rays of the setting sun. It is not recommended to visit the crater at night - in pursuit of a good shot, it is easy to miss the shaky area on the edge. Not recommended for tourists long time be located near craters, since not all of the escaping gas burns, and the air and soil temperatures remain high.
If you love mystical and unusual natural attractions, you should definitely visit the Darvaza gas crater before it is liquidated. So far, the authorities of Turkmenistan have not approved a project to extinguish the flames by starting beneficial use gas. However, the likelihood that the “gates of hell” will still be reorganized is extremely high - the 50-year “anniversary” of the crater, which is actively depleting local layers of valuable natural raw materials, is approaching.
How to get there
Darvaza is located at the intersection of the borders of the Ahal and Dashoguz regions in the northwestern part of Turkmenistan. The attraction is located 266 km north of Ashgabat and 90 km from the settlement of Erbent. The most convenient way to get here is by rented car, which is easy to rent in the capital. Considering the distance of the trip, you should correctly calculate the duration of use of the transport.
From the highway you need to turn onto a country road, which gives way to sand a few hundred meters before the crater. The car can be left at some distance from the hole, since crossing this section of the path is not easy even on foot. To get closer without the risk of getting stuck in the sand, you should rent an SUV. In general, the track and even the dirt road are of very high quality, and the route has been popular with tourists from all over the world for decades. This means that finding the famous landmark will be easy.
A few kilometers south of the Darvaza gas crater, you can have lunch at a roadside cafe, but the nearest shops and other infrastructure are in Erbent. It is advisable to take care of a full tank of the car and at least a minimum supply of food and drinks for all participants in the trip.
